The Dreaded Creative Block and How To Beat It.

Creative block. We’ve all been there. We’ve all felt its mind numbing, idea sucking powers. But how can you battle off this beast and stop it getting its claws into you?

First things first…

We need to diagnose the problem before we can prescribe the solution. But don’t stress, our design team at ilk knows exactly how to spot creative block in all its manifestations. We know how to beat it too! We’re good, I know.

These tried and tested methods should budge even the most stubborn of artistic holdups. So give it a go and try our creative block unblocker.

Go somewhere new.

The world is a big place with endless surprises to explore. Why not try a new coffee shop or visit a new exhibition? One of our Senior Designers, Ruth, always likes to grab a drink when she’s hit that wall. Hot choccy for the win.

You never know what might inspire you, so it’s important to keep things fresh. And don’t forget your camera and notebook for when the big breakthrough hits!

Clear the brain fog.

Sometimes there are just too many thoughts to keep track of. So why not try writing them all down? This way you can get a better look at what’s going on and start crossing off some of the less important tasks. Good ideas will always shine through.

Watch something creative.

When you’re stuck for inspiration, watching something like a beautifully animated film or a docuseries like Netflix’s ‘Abstract: the art of design’ can help get those cogs turning again. Being able to celebrate fellow creatives can often be a huge source of motivation and inspiration.

Get your body moving.

Doing a more physical task like running or even just cleaning can help to clear your mind and allow a more focused stream of thought. Take a leaf out of Einstein’s book. He believed doing more mundane tasks was the key to beating the creative block as you allow yourself to get lost in the task and daydream. Stew, our Design Director, likes to wallop away his stress by hitting the driving range.

Sharing is caring so talk it through.

Chatting through your thoughts with someone else can really help put things in perspective. People will often provide you with a different point of view, one which isn’t distorted by your own personal feelings and fears.

Make with no purpose.

It’s easy to get bogged down in the idea that whatever we make needs to be the best thing ever. Sometimes you need to allow yourself to make just for the sake of making. It could be a drawing that looks like it’s been done by a three year old or a poster that looks like it was designed in Microsoft Paint. It really doesn’t matter as long as you’re beating that fear and getting everything moving. Some accidents lead to the happiest breakthroughs. I like to try out a new medium and embrace the mess.

Take out the guesswork.

A lot of creativity comes from a feeling, but when you’re over-feeling, maybe it’s time to take this out of the equation. Try giving yourself a set of rules to follow. This could be a limited colour palette, a certain tool to use like a marker pen, or even just a time limit. Limitations can often inspire creative solutions.

Take a break.

Sometimes trying to force yourself through the problem can only make it worse. Give yourself a break and do something else for a while so you can tackle the problem more refreshed and energised. Some of our designers like to crack open a good book to get away from work for a second.

Say no.

It’s a hard lesson to learn but sometimes you just need to say no. If you’re taking on too much then you should focus on tackling your  current work and try saying no a little more in the future to help manage the load.

Get your priorities in order.

I love a good list and this is my number one tip for when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Make a list of the tasks that are most important and move anything non urgent to a separate list. This way you’re not faced with everything all at once and have a bit more of an action plan. It will also help you to keep up with deadlines. Out of all us designers, Creative Lead Mike’s list is something to be envious of! If it’s not on his list, it’s not worth knowing.

Try working at different times.

Creativity is a fickle beast to predict and no two people are the same. If you feel like your routine isn’t working anymore, see what times you feel more creative. For me, it tends to be late at night so I make sure to tackle any admin bits in the morning, leaving plenty of creative time in the evening.

Take time to create a habit.

It won’t happen overnight but once you create a habit, creativity will come more naturally as your body gets used to it and even starts to crave the action. Start with something small like blocking out 15 minutes everyday to sketch or a 10 minute ideas walk to freshen the mind.

Evaluate your time.

It’s important to make sure you’ve got a good work life balance. If you aren’t sleeping enough or eating regularly you’ll find yourself struggling to keep up with the work side of things. Schedule in regular breaks and find stuff outside of work to stop your brain from frying. Burnout is real. Our Senior Designer & Production Lead Ben loves to take some time out and go for a walk, even if it is just to the kettle. He makes a cracking coffee.

At the end of the day…

At the end of the day creative block is perfectly normal. So don’t stress it, even if that’s easier said than done! Just remember to tell yourself this: ‘from great struggle comes great success’. If being creative was easy, wouldn’t we all be creative geniuses? Take comfort in the fact you were brave enough to start, so you’re strong enough to finish.

Looking for a creative injection in your project? Explore our branding and creative services here at ilk Agency or get in touch with our design team and see how to bring your brand to life in 2025 and beyond.